After you read these
questions, if you
still have a Player-Eligibility or Team-related question, please contact Mike Hoffpauir by
email or by phone/text
to 757-846-4805.

What is
a Team? ANSWER: A "team" is two or more
players who attend
the same Virginia-based school and who are playing in the same section
of the tournament.A school does not have to
have a "chess club" in order to have a "team" for this tournament.
In other words, if there are two or more players who go to the same
school and they are playing in the same section of the tournament,
then by default they are "a team."

For the Championship Sections
in the Main Event team scores are determined using the
game scores of the 4 highest-finishing
players. Teams with few than 4 players only accrue the
points scored by the 2 or 3 players on their team.

For the
new "Under" Sections in the Main Event team scores are
determined using the
game scores of the 3 highest-finishing
players. Teams with 2 players only accrue the
points scored by those 2 players.

A
school may compete IN BOTH SECTIONS within their grade group.
For example, Jonesville Middle School may have a team of 4 players
in K8 Championship, and a team of 3 players in K8-Under 1200.

Do all
players on a "Team" have to attend the same school?ANSWER: Yes.
If, during the tournament, a player's "school of attendance" is
challanged, the player's Grade Report or Report Card is sufficient
to prove attendance. If
your player is home-schooled, see Questions 8 and 9 below. The
school must be located in Virginia.

Paul
(or Sally) goes to Smallville High School, and they don't have a Chess Club. Can
s/he play as a member of our School's
team?ANSWER: In general, the answer
to this question is "No". However, we ask that you contact
Mike Hoffpauir and describe your specific situation
because it deserves to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

To play in the State Tournament do I have
to be on a "team?" ANSWER: No, you do not have to be on a team. But, you will be
eligible only for the individual awards.

Our child attends two different
schools--one for all math and science classes, the other school for
other courses. Both schools have a Chess Club. What
School does our child play with? ANSWER: This is a complicated question that
we usually answer based on your answers to these general questions: 1) Where does the student
take "most" of his or her class work; 2) From which school does
the player
receive their Report Card or Grade Report; and 3) For which school has the player been
playing in other (local) Scholatic Tournaments?
PLEASE contact us EARLY
to get this question answered for your player. Don't wait
until the tournament.

In our School District, the District Office has consolidated "Club
activities" at specific schools across the District. As a result
of this ruling by the School District, "Chess Club"
is offered only at a couple of schools in the District and our
players
go to one of those two schools for their Chess Club activities. For what school should
such players register? Do they register under the name of the school they attend, or
under the name of the school where
Chess Club is held? ANSWER:
Players must register
under the name of the Virginia-based school they attend, not for the
school where they go to Chess Club. See also Question 2 above.

Our
school district does not allow "Chess Clubs" at the
schools, can we still play as a
team?ANSWER: Yes, absolutely, as long as
there are at least 2 players from the same school. See also
the answer to Question 1 above.

Can a
home-schooled player play on our School Team?
ANSWER:
Maybe. For this to happen we must have a letter from the School's
Principal, Asst Principal, or the Team's Official School Sponsor
(e.g. someone authorized to sign a letter on behalf of
the School) saying that the player in question is a member of the school team
and is being allowed to represent the school at the tournament.
Contact
Mike Hoffpauir if you have additional questions.

I am
Home-Schooled. Can I be on a Team?ANSWER: YES, you have several options ...

One option
you have is to form a team comprised of players who are all from the
same, locally-formed home school
association or co-operative (co-op).
The bottom line is that we look to ensure that such an
organization was not (or has not) formed for the purpose of entering this tournament.

If you are not part of a Home School Association
or Co-Op, players may form
a team with players who all live within the designated school
boundary of the public school they would attend based on their
home address and their current grade in school.

A Home-Schooled player also has the option
to play as a member of the Public School he/she would normally
attend based on his/her home address and current grade in
school. Permission to play on that school's team must be in
writing, signed by a school official (e.g. Principal, Asst.
Principal, or the Chess Team's Official School Sponsor).
See also the answer to Question #8
above.

I will
be attending Jones Middle School next year, can I play on their team
this year? ANSWER:
No, except as
described below.

ExceptionPre-school age players
are an exception to this rule because they are not yet enrolled
in school. Therefore, a Pre-school age player's "team
option" is to play for the school that they will attend
when they become age-eligible for that school.
For this to happen we must have a letter from the
future School's
senior administration (Principal, Asst Principal) attesting to
the fact that the pre-school player is expected to attend their
school when s/he becomes of age. Contact Mike Hoffpauir if you have additional questions.

I attended Smithville Elementary last
year, but my new school does not have a Chess Team. Can I play on the
Smithville team with my former friends? ANSWER:
No,
players can only play for the Virginia-based school they currently
attend.

Our
School is a K-6 school. Can our 6th Graders play with their
school-mates on our K-5 Team?
ANSWER: No, to compete as part
of a team the 6th graders should form their own team and register in
the K8 Championship or K8 Under 1200 Section. Alternatively, any of the K5
eligible players can "play-up" as part of your school's K8 Team
(e.g., in this example, it means K5 players playing-up on their
school's K8 Team). As this example suggests, it's also
possible for your school to have two teams, one playing in the K-5
Section, the other in the K-8 Section.

We
don't have a School Team, but our town has a "Scholastic Chess
Club." Can they compete as a team?ANSWER: No, all
team members must be students at the same school or otherwise meet at least one of the Team Composition criteria outlined above.

I live in Washington D.C., but go to
school in Virginia near where my father (mother or guardian) works.
Can I compete in this tournament?ANSWER: The answer probably is YES,
the tournament is open to all players who attend public, private or
home-school full-time IN VIRGINIA.

I
am a resident of Virginia, but I attend school (K thru College)
out-of-state. Can I compete in this tournament? ANSWER: The answer probably is YES,
the tournament is open to all Virginia-residents of school-age.
For any player attending school out-of-state, the player or his/her
parents or legal guardians may be asked to provide "proof" of
Virginia residency (e.g. Player's Drivers License, Parents Utility
Bill from January or February of the current year). Also,
players who attend school out-of-state are not eligible to compete as a "team",
their participation in the tournament is as an individual only.
(See also Question #4 above and #17 below.)

I was born in
Virginia, but I now live in Connecticut. Can I compete in this
tournament?ANSWER: The answer is
very likely NO.
But you should contact us to check and be certain.

I attend XYZ
Community College in McLean, VA, and I take night classes there, but
I go to the University of Maryland during the day in pursuit of my
degree. I live in Virginia. Can I compete in this
tournament?ANSWER: YES, because
you are a Virginia resident.
However, unless XYZ Community College is your full-time school, you
cannot participate as a member of that school's team. You also
cannot compete using Univ. of MD as your school. In other
words,
you are playing in the College Section of the tournament as an
Individual,
you are not part of any team.

Our player(s)
lived in Virginia and attended a Virginia-based school when we
registered for the tournament, but they now live out-of-the state. Can
these players compete in this
tournament?ANSWER: NO.
Players need to be current residents of Virginia, or attending
school full-time in Virginia.

My father
(mother or guadian) is in the U.S. military and stationed in
Virginia. I attend the local public or private school, or I am
home-schooled. Can I play in this tournament?ANSWER:
YES.
See also the rules above concerning schools and home schools.

I don't see an
answer to my particular eligibility or team question. Who can
I call to ask my questions?ANSWER: Contact
Mike Hoffpauir by email, or by phone/text to
757-846-4805. Don't wait until the
tournament to get your questions answered.